Power-operated pipe coupling



Dec. 6, 1966 J. A. HAEBER 3,290,063

POWER-OPERATED PIPE COUPLING Filed Sept. 12, 1963 Fl G. I F I G. 2

INVENTOR:

JOHN A. HAEBER HIS AGENT 3,290,063 POWER-OPERATED PIPE COUPLING John A.Haeber, Houston, Tex., assignor to Shell Oil Company, New York, N.Y., acorporation of Dela- Filed Sept. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 308,530 4 Claims.(Cl. 285--18) The present invention relates to pipe couplings andpertains more particularly to a coupling for use in high pressure flowlines, such for example, as those utilized on oil and gas producingwells.

Heretofore, offshore wells have been drilled either from stationaryplatforms anchored to the ocean floor, movable barges temporarilypositioned on the ocean floor, or from movable barges floating on thebody of water in which drilling operations are being carried out.Regardless of the manner in which the wells are drilled, most wells werecompleted in a manner such that the outermost tubular member of the wellextends upwardly from the ocean floor to a point above the surface ofthe water where a wellhead assembly or Christmas tree is mounted thereonfor controlling the production of the well.

Wellheads extending above the surface of the water constitute a hazardto the navigation of vessels in the area as well as constituting astructure which is readily attacked by wave action, it being well knownthat the corrosive action of sea water and air readily attack the normalsteel wellheads unless they are protected in a suitable manner bycorrosive resistance material. However, when the wellhead and/ orcasinghead extend above the surface of the water, the flow-controllingcomponent of the wellhead may be readily adjusted by an operator workingfrom a platform adjacent the wellhead structure above the sur face ofthe water. Additionally, any workover or reconditioning operationscarried out on the well may be readily accomplished as all of theportions of the wellhead structure which must be disassembled in orderto carry out these operations, are above the surface of the water wherethey may be reached by maintenance crews. Thus, pipe couplings of anysuitable design may be employed in the flowline positioned above thesurface of the water since they may be readily connected anddisconnected by maintenance men employing normal tools used for workingon pipe lines on land.

Recently, however, methods and apparatus have been developed fordrilling and completing oil and gas wells on the ocean floor in a mannersuch that after completion of the well, the wellhead assembly, includingvarious components such as'flow control valves and pipe couplings, ispositioned beneath the surface of the water, preferably on the oceanfloor. These facilities are often positioned in water depths greaterthan the depth at which a diver can safely and readily Work. It maytherefore be seen that the adjustment of any wellhead component fromtime to time, or the task of disconnecting or connecting pipe couplingsduring maintenance or reconditioning Work on the well, presents aconsiderable problem when the wellhead assembly is positioned below thesurface of the water.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide apower-operable pipe coupling adapted to connect underwater pipe linestogether or to connect an underwater pipe line to an underwater well orother installations below diver depth in a body of water.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a power-operatedpipe coupling adapted to connect two ends of a pipe together which arepositioned in register one with the other in fixed spaced-apartrelationship.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pipe couplingadapted to be actuated by suitable prime mover means, preferably in theform of a power wrench, that is lowerable through a body of water andengageable United States Patent with the pipe coupling to actuate saidpipe coupling to either connect or disconnect the coupling from anadjacent pipe end.

These and other objects of this invention will be understood from thefollowing description taken with reference to the drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal view, taken partially in cross section,showing the pipe coupling of the present invention in its extended formso as to engage the end of a mating section of pipe;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of a pipe coupling of FIG- URE 1, partially cutaway to show the interaction of the gear mechanism of the coupling; and,

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an underwater wellheadpositioned near the ocean floor where the wellhead is connected to anunderwater pipe line by means of the power actuated coupling of thepresent invention.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawing, a pair of pipe sections 10and 11 are shown as being positioned in axial register and connectedtogether by means of a power-operated pipe coupling in accordance withthe present invention.

The pipe coupling includes a concentrically mounted tubular sleeve 12carried at one end of pipe section 10 and being slidably mounted thereonfor limited axial movement to a position extending beyond the normal endof the pipe section 10. Thus, in its extended position, as shown, abouthalf of the extendable tubular sleeve 12 is positioned adjacent and insealing contact with the outer surface of the end of pipe line 11.Preferably a raised contact or sealing surface 13'is provided on the endof pipe section 11.

Suitable sealing means, such as O-ring seals 14, are provided and arecarried on the inner surface of the extendable tubular sleeve 12 forsealing against the sealing surface 13 of the pipe section 11. It is tobe readily understood, however, that the seals 14 are to seal the spacebetween the tubular sleeve 12 and the landing surface 13 at the end ofpipe section 11 and may just as readily be carried in a recessed manneron the other surface of pipe section 11 in a manner identical with thatillustrated with regard to the sleeve 12. Thus, with the seals 14 beingcarried by the end of pipe section 11, new seals could be installed eachtime the pipe section 11 was replaced.

In a like manner a series of O-ring seals 15 are provided in recessedportions of the inner surface of the tubular sleeve 12 and positionedthereon so as to contact a sealing'surface 16 carried near the end ofpipe section 10. Preferably, suitable stop means or movement-limitingmeans are provided between the slidable tubular sleeve 12 and the end ofthe pipe section 10 so that the tubular sleeve 12 is not extendedsufficiently to fall off the end of the pipe section 10 or to disengagerack 20, with pinion 21. One form of movement-limiting means or stopmeans may be a shoulder 17 formed on the inner surface of the sleeve 12so as to cooperate with an outwardly extending shoulder 18 carried onthe outer surface of a portion of the pipe section 10. While stopshoulders 17 and 18 prevent the sleeve 12 from being driven suflicientlyfar so as to become disengaged from the pipe section 10, it is to benoted that prior to such an occurrence, the rack 20 disengages thepinion 21 even if shoulders 17 and 18 are not present. Once suchdisengagement had occurred, further driving of sleeve 12 is notpossible. Thus, it is seen that an important purpose of shoulders 17 and18 is to limit the travel of sleeve 12 to a position where the rack 20and pinion 21 are still engaged, the sleeve 12 has traveled far enoughto seal effectively on the surface 13, and the sleeve 12 is stillengaged on pipe end 10a and sealed against surface 16. It is equallyimportant that precautions be taken to insure that the rack 20 andpinion 21 are not disengaged when the sleeve 12 is driven to the open,or released, position. Numeral designations 34 and 35 in FIGUREIillustrate one means which are employed by the tool design to guardagainst this possibility. When the connector is driven to the releasedposition, the end 34 of sleeve 12 lands on the shoulder 35 of housingcylinder 23, limiting the travel of sleeve 12; and, again, pre ventingdisengagement of rack 20 with pinion 21.

Suitable power-operated actuating means are provided on the end of thepipe section to which the extendable sleeve 12 is attached in order toextend or retract the sleeve 12 from engagement with a cooperating pipesection 11, as needed. One form of actuating means is provided by a rack20 which is fixedly secured, as by welding, to the outer surface of thetubular slidable sleeve 12. Mounted on the pipe section 10 in operativeengagement with the rack 20 is a suitable gear means such as a pinion 21having a drive shaft 22 extending outwardly therefrom for engagementwith any suitable form of prime mover means, such for example as a powerwrench. Thus, in rotating the shaft 22 and pinion 21, the rack 20 andthe sleeve 12 attached thereto is moved in one direction or the other.While a rack and pinion arrangement has been illustrated, it is to beunderstood that a worm gear or lead screw or any other suitable type ofactuating means may be employed just as readily. While the sleeve 12 maybe mounted directly on the outside of the pipe section 10, it ispreferably enclosed in a housing cylinder 23 which surrounds the end1011 of the pipe section 10 in a manner so as to be spaced therefrom toform the annular space 24 into which the sleeve 12 may be retracted. Asshown in FIGURE 2, the cylindrical housing 23 is provided with alongitudinal slot 25 of a length sufficient to receive the rack 20therein when the sleeve 12 is in its retracted position.

In using the pipe coupling of the present invention it may be seen thatafter the two pipe sections 10 and 11 are positioned in axial registerone with the other, a wrench is connected to the shaft 22 of the pinion21 which is then rotated so as to drive the rack 20 and the sleeve 12 toan extended position with the seals 14 on the inner surface of thesleeve 12 forming a fluidtight seal against the sealing surface 13 ofthe pipe section 11.

Referring to FIGURE 3 of the drawing, an underwater wellhead 26 isdiagrammatically shown as being positioned on the ocean floor 27, theupper end of the production wellhead 26 being closed by suitable closuremeans 28. A bracket 30 may be fixedly secured at its lower end to thewellhead 26 while its outer end is provided with a U-shaped saddle 31 inwhich an underwater pipe line section 11 may rest. If desired, the sidesof the U-shaped saddle 31 may slope upwardly and inwardly thus servingas aligning means for a pair of sloping flanges or guide means fixedlysecured to the outer surface of the pipe 11, as by welding. With thepipe 11 in the saddle 31 in the flanges 32 and 33 on opposite sides ofthe saddle 31, it is known that the end of the pipe line 11 is in fixedspace relationship and axial alignment with the pipe section 10, asshown in FIGURE 1. With the two pipe sections 10 and 11 arranged in thismanner, suitable means may be employed to operate the gear mechanism ofthe present pipeline coupling so as to extend the slidable sleeve 12outwardly to engage the end of the pipeline 11 in a fiuidtight manner,as illustrated in FIGURE 1. One suitable form of apparatus foraccomplishing this operation is described and illustrated in U.S. Patent3,099,316 which is directed to an underwater manipulator' device havinga power wrench thereon for carrying 4 out operations of this typeunderwater. The manipulator device is provided with suitable means forlowering through the water as well as propulsion means for moving itthrough the water to a predetermined position on or adjacent a wellheador other underwater installation.

While a pipe line connector of the present invention has been describedhereinabove as being normally fixedly mounted on the Wellhead 26 (FIGURE3), it is to be understood that in many cases.it may be preferred tomount the coupling device on the section of flow line 11 which is to beinstalled and connected to the underwater wellhead 26. Thus, any timethe underwater pipe line 11 has to be replaced, the power actuatedcoupling carried at the end of the line could be inspected, repaired andnew seals installed, if necessary, before being used on a new section ofpipe line to be lowered to the ocean floor.

I claim as my invention:

1. A pipe connector carried at one end of a pipe section and adapted tobe extended axially to connect to a second pipe section, said pipeconnector comprising:

an outer concentrically mounted tubular sleeve sealingly carriedoutwardly at the end of said pipe sec-" tion and slidably mounted forlimited axial movement to a position extending beyond the normal end ofsaid pipe section, said pipe section end having an axially-extendingslot therein,

a first gear carried outwardly on said sliding tubular sleeve, saidfirst gear comprising a rack fixedly secured to and arrangedlongitudinally of said sleeve and slidable insaid pipe section slot tothereby restrain said sleeve to axial movement,

a second gear carried near the end of said pipe section in engagementwith said first gear, said second gear including a pinion fixedlymounted on said pipe section and in rotatable engagement with said rack,and

drive shaft means operatively connected to one of said gears andextending outwardly therefrom for engagement with means for actuatingsaid one gear to move said sliding tubular sleeve axially, the outer endof said sleeve being adapted to sealingly mate telescopically with theterminal end of a second pipe.

2. The pipe connector of claim 1 including seal means carried on thesurface of said tubular sleeve near the outer end thereof for sealingagainst a cooperating sealing surface near one end of a second pipesection.

3. The pipe connector of claim 1 including sleeve stop means formed onsaid pipe section near the end thereof and engageable with a portion ofsaid sleeve for limiting the axial movement of said sleeve.

4. The pipe connector of claim 1 wherein said pipe section is providedwith a longitudinal annular recess extending in from one end and beingof a size to contain said sleeve therein with a wall portion of saidpipe section extending axially on the inside and on the outside of saidsleeve.

References ited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 430,721 6/1890Winkler 285309 581,936 5/1897 Kester 285364 X 1 2,180,720 11/1939 Kaedle285-320 2,593,491 4/1952 Saunders 285-31 X 3,053,553. 9/1962 Browning28531 3,174,806 3/1965 Barber 285-31 X.

CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner.

S. R. MILLER, D. W. AROLA, Assistant Examiners.

1. A PIPE CONNECTOR CARRIED AT ONE END OF A PIPE SECTION AND ADAPTED TOBE EXTENDED AXIALLY TO CONNECT TO A SECOND PIPE SECTION, SAID PIPECONNECTOR COMPRISING: AN OUTER CONCENTRICALLY MOUNTED TUBULAR SLEEVESEALINGLY CARRIED OUTWARDLY AT THE END OF SAID PIPE SECTION AND SLIDABLYMOUNTED FOR LIMITED AXIAL MOVEMENT TO A POSITION EXTENDING BEYOND THENORMAL END OF SAID PIPE SECTION, SAID PIPE SECTION END HAVING ANAXIALLY-EXTENDING SLOT THEREIN, A FIRST GEAR CARRIED OUTWARDLY ON SAIDSLIDING TUBULAR SLEEVE, SAID FIRST GEAR COMPRISING A RACK FIXEDLYSECURED TO AND ARRANGED LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SLEEVE AND SLIDABLE INSAID PIPE SECTION SLOT TO THEREBY RESTRAIN SAID SLEEVE TO AXIALMOVEMENT, A SECOND GEAR CARRIED NEAR THE END OF SAID PIPE SECTION INENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST GEAR, SAID SECOND GEAR INCLUDING A PINIONFIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID PIPE SECTION AND IN ROTATABLE ENGAGEMENT WITHSAID RACK, AND DRIVE SHAFT MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAIDGEARS AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH MEANS FORACTUATING SAID ONE GEAR TO MOVE SAID SLIDING TUBULAR SLEEVE AXIALLY, THEOUTER END OF SAID SLEEVE BEING ADAPTED TO SEALINGLY MATE TELESCOPICALLYWITH THE TERMINAL END OF A SECOND PIPE.